Quick verdict
Choose CutList Optimizer if…
- You want one focused screen (panels, stock, options, result) with very little to learn.
- You use the Android app and want the same account and plan on the web.
- You rely on per-side edge banding with named band types.
- You want a detailed cut sequence table with statistics per sheet, including total cut length.
- You need it once and a cheap 3-day pass is all you want to pay.
Choose cutlistlab if…
- You want no daily calculation limit, no cap on saved projects and no watermark.
- You also cut bars, boards, battens or profiles (1D linear mode).
- You want to keep offcuts as stock across projects.
- You want to design a cabinet and cut it from the same tool.
- You need DXF export or a CNC nesting mode.
Side by side
The table only lists the points that matter for this comparison, with short cells so it stays readable on a phone. The wider feature matrix across the main tools is on the best free cut list optimizers page.
| Feature | CutList Optimizer | cutlistlab |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Web app, plus Android app | Web browser, any device |
| Use without signing in | Yes (sign-in via Google) | Yes, account optional |
| Free plan limits | 5 calculations per day, 5 saved items | None |
| Paid plans | Silver €15/month, Gold €25/month; 3-day pass €4.90 | None, all free |
| Where it calculates | Web app (plus an Android app) | Locally in the browser |
| Sheet (2D) optimization | Yes | Yes |
| Linear (1D) mode | Not seen in the app | Yes, separate Linear tab |
| Kerf and trim | Cut / blade thickness | Kerf, edge trim, min. offcut |
| Grain direction | Per panel | Per part |
| Edge banding | Per side, named band types | Per side, automatic size correction |
| Optimization goal | Priority, e.g. least wasted space | Least waste, fewest cuts, lowest cost |
| Cut sequence | Numbered table, total cut length | Numbered order, Cut along mode |
| Exports | PDF, image, CSV | PDF, PNG, SVG, DXF, CSV, labels |
| Offcuts across projects | Stock entered per project | Kept as stock, used first |
| Cabinet designer | Not seen in the app | Yes, parametric |
| Interface languages | 17 | 40 |
Where CutList Optimizer is better
One screen, nothing to learn. CutList Optimizer puts the panel list, the stock sheets, the options and the result on a single focused screen. If you have your sizes ready, you are looking at a layout within a minute, and there is not much else to discover. cutlistlab has more around the optimizer (a linear mode, a cabinet designer, an offcut inventory, a sheet library), which is useful but also more to see.
Edge banding with named band types. Each panel can get edge banding on the top, left, bottom and right side, with named band types. If you keep several band types in stock and want them listed by name, that is well handled. cutlistlab also does per-side edge banding with automatic size correction, but does not name band types.
Android app on the same account. CutList Optimizer has an Android app, and the vendor states that a subscription applies to both the website and the app, unlocking all features for your account. cutlistlab has no native app; on a phone you use it in the browser.
Cut sequence and statistics. The result includes global and per-sheet statistics (used and wasted area, number of cuts, total cut length) and a numbered cut sequence table. cutlistlab shows utilisation and waste per sheet and a numbered cutting order, but does not report total cut length.
A cheap pass if you only need it once. A one-time 3-day pass costs $4.90 or 4.90 euro and gives unlimited calculations and premium features for those three days. For a single weekend project that hits the free daily limit, that is a fair deal.
Where cutlistlab fits better
No daily limit, no saved-item cap. The whole optimizer is free: no part limit, no daily calculation cap, no cap on saved projects, no watermark and no paywall. You can tweak a layout and recalculate as often as you like in one afternoon. That matters most on the day you are actually cutting.
Linear stock as well as sheets. A separate 1D linear mode handles bars, boards, battens and profiles, with its own kerf, trim, minimum offcut and stock lengths per material. A build that has both a melamine carcass and a few lengths of batten stays in one project. CutList Optimizer is a panel optimizer; we did not see a linear mode in the app.
Offcuts kept as stock. Usable leftovers from one project are kept as stock and offered first in the next one ("Use my offcuts"). In CutList Optimizer the stock sheets are entered per project, so an offcut from last month has to be typed in again.
A cabinet designer that feeds the plan. Pick a bookcase, cabinet with doors, wardrobe, drawer unit, TV unit, kitchen base or wall cabinet, bathroom cabinet, room divider or attic cabinet with a sloped side, set the sizes and options, check the front, side and 3D view, and the parts flow straight into the cutting plan and update live.
DXF and a CNC mode. Export, then CNC export (DXF) writes the layout as a DXF file. There is also an optional CNC mode with tighter, non-guillotine nesting for CNC routers. CutList Optimizer exports to PDF and image, plus CSV for the list.
Store sheet sizes with prices. A library of real store sheet sizes and prices for 41 country markets (for example Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards in the US, or OBI, Bauhaus and Hornbach in Germany) lets the lowest-cost goal work with sheets you can actually buy. Your own sizes and prices work too.
Local calculation, your data on your device. The optimization runs in a background worker in your browser, not on a server. Without an account, projects stay on your device, with a project file export and a share link as backup options.
Pricing and free plan
CutList Optimizer can be used without signing in. The free plan allows 5 calculations per day and 5 saved items, at normal calculation speed and without the premium features or the Android Pro app. Silver (€15 per month) gives unlimited calculations, 150 saved items, premium features, priority support and the Android Pro app; Gold (€25 per month) adds high calculation speed and 20,000 saved items. Annual billing is 10% cheaper. There is also a one-time 3-day pass at €4.90 (or $4.90) that gives unlimited calculations and premium features for three days, with the same features as Silver. These are the figures the app's upgrade dialog showed us in September 2026 (in euro, from the Netherlands). A subscription applies to both the website and the Android app. Saved data stays loadable after a plan expires.
cutlistlab has one plan and it is free: the whole optimizer, with no part limit, no daily cap, no watermark and no paid tier. An account is optional and also free; it adds server-side saving and sync of projects and offcut stock across devices. Without an account everything stays in your browser, with a project file export and a share link as backups.
Workflow comparison
If you already use the CutList Optimizer Android app
CutList Optimizer. Your account and plan carry over between the app and the website, and you already know the screen. Switching to cutlistlab would only make sense if you miss something specific, such as a linear mode, an offcut inventory or DXF export.
If you have a spreadsheet with 80 parts
Both take a CSV. In cutlistlab you can also paste the columns straight from Excel. The difference shows up afterwards: with a list that size you tend to recalculate a few times while you adjust kerf, grain or the sheet size, and in CutList Optimizer every calculation counts against the free daily limit. cutlistlab has no such limit.
If you are standing next to the saw with your phone
On Android, the CutList Optimizer app is a good fit. On any phone, cutlistlab runs in the browser, is mobile-first, and its full-screen "Cut along" mode shows the cuts one step at a time in the numbered order. The offcuts you end up with can be saved as stock on the spot.
If you are building a cabinet from scratch
cutlistlab. Start in the cabinet designer, set the width, height and depth, choose the back panel, plinth and shelves, and the parts list appears in the cutting plan as you go. In CutList Optimizer you would work out the parts list first and type it in.
If you also cut battens, rails or profiles
cutlistlab, because of the linear mode. CutList Optimizer is a panel optimizer, so lengths of timber would need another tool.
If you need it once, this weekend
Either. Both work without signing in and without installing anything. If you run into the CutList Optimizer daily limit, the 3-day pass is cheap; cutlistlab simply has no limit to run into.
Who should choose which?
- Existing CutList Optimizer user on Android who is happy with it: stay with CutList Optimizer.
- Someone who wants the simplest possible panel optimizer and a cheap pass for one job: CutList Optimizer.
- Maker or DIYer who recalculates often and wants everything free with no daily limit: cutlistlab.
- Anyone who cuts linear stock as well as sheets, or wants DXF for a CNC: cutlistlab.
- Someone who wants to design the cabinet and cut it from the same tool, and keep the offcuts for next time: cutlistlab.
Try it yourself. Already have a cut list? Put the same parts into both tools and compare the layouts. Open cutlistlab: free, no sign-up, nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
Is cutlistlab a free alternative to CutList Optimizer?
Yes. The whole cutlistlab optimizer is free, with no part limit, no daily calculation cap, no watermark and no paid tier. CutList Optimizer can also be used for free, but its free plan stops at 5 calculations per day and 5 saved items; the Silver and Gold subscriptions or a 3-day pass lift those limits.
Does cutlistlab work without an account?
Yes. You can use everything without signing in. Projects and offcut stock then stay in your browser on your device, and you can export a project file as a backup. A free account is optional and only adds saving projects on the server and syncing projects and offcut stock across devices. CutList Optimizer can also be used without signing in; its sign-in is via Google.
Does cutlistlab support linear stock?
Yes. Next to the 2D sheet optimizer there is a separate Linear tab for bars, boards, battens and profiles, with its own kerf, trim, minimum offcut, stock lengths per material and offcut stock. CutList Optimizer is a panel optimizer; we did not see a 1D linear mode in the app.
Does cutlistlab export DXF?
Yes. Under Export, the CNC export (DXF) option writes the layout as a DXF file. It works for the normal layout as well as for the optional CNC mode with tighter, non-guillotine nesting. The export menu of CutList Optimizer offers PDF and image, plus CSV for the part list; we did not see a DXF export there.
Which tool is better for cabinet projects?
For a cabinet you still have to design, cutlistlab has a workflow advantage: its parametric cabinet designer turns a bookcase, wardrobe, drawer unit or kitchen cabinet into a parts list that flows straight into the cutting plan and updates live. If you already have the parts list and mainly want per-side edge banding with named band types and a clear cut sequence, CutList Optimizer does that well too. Both optimize the sheets; the difference is where the parts list comes from.
Which is easier for a one-off DIY job?
Both are quick for a one-off job, and neither asks you to install anything or sign in first. CutList Optimizer keeps everything on one screen with panels, stock, options and result, so there is very little to learn. cutlistlab adds a store sheet library so you can pick the sheet you will actually buy, and a step-by-step Cut along mode at the saw. If you expect to recalculate many times in one day, cutlistlab has no daily limit; with CutList Optimizer a 3-day pass covers that.
Sources checked. Competitor information checked against the vendor's official website in September 2026: cutlistoptimizer.com (app and upgrade dialog), play.google.com (CutList Optimizer) (the app was checked in a real browser session). cutlistlab features are taken from the current application.
Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. cutlistlab is not affiliated with the products compared here.